The Eldritch Files

Looking at the nonchalant expression on this scrawny guy’s face, Han Su was at a loss for words.

The first-tier companions he had carefully selected back then each had their own unique traits. To put it simply, they were the kind whose light couldn’t be overshadowed even by the myriad monsters of the Ancient Castle.

Although all their previous escape attempts had failed, the situations they’d faced were far more complex than the one he’d dealt with during his own escape on the first night. They had relied on teamwork to solve all sorts of complicated problems.

Skinny was the one who helped him solve the most problems. He was capable, but Han Su had to admit, sometimes being *too* capable was a headache.

Case in point.

Looking at the smug Skinny before him, Han Su didn’t know whether he should kiss him or punch him!

’You stole the goddamn key! What if I hadn’t decided to rescue you this time? What would have happened then?’

The image of himself searching the entire Ancient Castle for the key flashed through Han Su’s mind, and a wave of delayed fear washed over him.

’That was way too close...’

He snatched the key away. It was the first time he’d ever held the key and not felt happy about it.

Seeing Skinny staring at him, his face a mixture of excitement and suspicion, Han Su was tempted to summon the door and escape immediately. But a glance around revealed the Ancient Castle was still dead silent. No monsters had found them yet. His mind began to churn with new ideas.

’I still have time, and I’ve got the most important thing: the key.’

’And I brought this black briefcase up with me. It’s the perfect time to test it out.’

He had tried to take things from the Ancient Castle with him during his previous escapes, but he’d failed every time.

’This black briefcase appeared so strangely. How could I leave without at least trying to take it with me?’

He quickly made his decision and whispered to Skinny, ”Don’t give me that look. Just trust me!”

”With this key, I can definitely get you out of here. But before we leave, I have to find one more thing.”

”...”

Skinny narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, his face a mask of suspicion. ”Looking for what now?”

”A book.”

Han Su’s gaze swept over the books cramming the hallway. He carefully recalled the mysterious man’s description from the phone call and whispered, ”A black cover, with text inlaid in gold thread. The main symbol is a Hexagram Eye.”

He watched Skinny as he spoke.

’If I had to search for it myself, it would take forever.’

’But this guy’s always been sharp, and he’s been on this floor for over two hours already. Maybe he has a clue?’

Hearing this, Skinny’s brow furrowed. ”Are you messing with me?”

”First you’re looking for a key, now a book. What do you think this is, a library?”

”I’m not that gullible. You...”

”...”

Han Su knew how suspicious he was and went straight to their ”password”: ”Believe it or not.”

”You...”

It was driving Skinny up the wall.

He gave Han Su a long, scrutinizing, and suspicious look. ”Alright, you stay put. Don’t move. I’ll go have a look!”

”Huh?”

Han Su was stunned to see him turn and walk away without the slightest hesitation.

’I just wanted to ask if he had any clues so he could lead me to it. This guy’s a little too eager to take action, isn’t he?’

’Seeing how decisive he was, could it be that he actually knows where that book with the Hexagram Eye is?’

Clutching the key, he decided to trust the guy.

He took a step back and hid behind a stack of books, peering at his surroundings through the chaotic gaps between the volumes.

Elsewhere, he could have used the Zero Sequence to listen for sounds in the shadows. But he wasn’t familiar with the monsters on this floor, and rashly using an Encrypted Spell could attract unwanted attention. He had no choice but to hold back and hide quietly.

Still, he felt a little strange.

’It was always me running around the Ancient Castle while the other kids waited obediently for me.’

’How have the roles reversed now?’

’Is... this right?’

He wasn’t sure himself, so he turned to look at the Black Cat Duke rubbing its head on the corner of a book. It clearly didn’t understand either.

Just as Han Su was lost in thought, the heavy slam of a distant door shattered the silence.

The sound of frantic footsteps grew closer, and ahead, he saw piles of books toppling over.

”This...”

The entire hallway instantly went from dead silent to utter chaos.

Han Su poked his head out for a look, and his mind went blank. ”What in the world did you take?”

Skinny weaved his way through the toppled books and scrambled over to him. He was fast, but he was an absolute mess.

He was wearing a pair of stuffy, old-fashioned Glasses that were far too big for his face, a Pocket Watch was dangling from his mouth, a black book was clutched in his left arm, and he was carrying a cane in his right hand... Forget Han Su; even the Black Cat Duke, which had been rolling on the floor nearby, froze and stared.

”I went to get your book...” Skinny’s words were muffled, but he still managed to answer.

Han Su immediately opened the briefcase and started quickly packing the items inside. ”And then?”

”Well, his Glasses were just sitting on the book. Would’ve been a waste not to take them...”

”And then?”

”Then I saw his Pocket Watch looked pretty nice too, but it was too close to him. The moment I grabbed it, he woke up...”

”What?”

”Since he was awake anyway, I figured I’d take his cane so he couldn’t chase us...”

’Damn... his logic is surprisingly sound...’

”...”

While they were talking, the black book, Glasses, and Pocket Watch were stuffed into the briefcase. Skinny struggled to shove the cane in as well, but it clearly wouldn’t fit. Han Su decisively snapped the case shut, grabbed Skinny, and sprinted for the end of the hallway.

At that moment, Han Su’s heightened Spiritual Activity allowed him to see it: a short old man in a nightgown was painfully crawling out of the room Skinny had just burst from.

His face was a mass of wrinkles, making his age impossible to guess. He was missing a leg and had to lean on the wall to inch his way out of the room. His face was contorted in fury as he squinted in their direction.

’The door... the door should be appearing...’

Han Su sprinted toward the other end of the hallway, clutching the key tightly in his hand.

Ahead, on the hallway wall, invisible Spiritual Power coalesced, and the door to an escape route materialized before them.

Skinny’s eyes instantly lit up. ”Holy crap, it’s real?”

”If I’d known it was this easy, I’d have taken the old geezer’s chamber pot, too...”

”...”

’Of all the times to be thinking about a chamber pot...’

Han Su cursed the guy’s death wish internally as he hauled the heavy black briefcase and charged for the escape door. Skinny shouldered the cane and followed close behind.

Just then, the old monster behind them managed to steady himself against the wall and shakily raised a hand.

He made a pressing motion in the air, and a stream of bizarre, esoteric words poured from his lips.

All at once, every book in the hallway began to flutter its pages with a great RUSTLE, as if struck by a furious gale.

The books seemed to come alive. Screams, Spells, and all sorts of mysterious, oppressive, and indiscernible sounds could be heard coming from within them.

More importantly, some of the books changed direction on their own, while others flew into the air. All sorts of things emerged from their pages—arms, soot-black chains, eyes, tongues, and grotesque branches and vines.

An endless torrent of monstrosities instantly filled the hallway, reaching for the two small figures.

”Aah...!”

Han Su and Skinny ran for their lives, the hair on their bodies standing on end.

The things flying out of the books were utterly chaotic. Each one was terrifying, but...

...their aim was off.

Some lunged in front of him and Skinny, others behind them. Some slammed into the walls, while others whistled over their heads. It was indescribably terrifying, but it was more chaos than precision.

As Han Su raced toward the escape door, he wondered in terror, ’How is this possible?’

’Am I just lucky?’

”No...”

Amid his frantic sprint, he glanced back and instantly understood.

’The old man is nearsighted!’

’Skinny stole his cane, so he can’t give chase, and he stole his Glasses, so he can’t target us accurately...’

’Son of a...!’

Han Su didn’t know whether to call it luck or something else. All he knew was that he had to seize this chance. Pushing his Spiritual Activity to its limit, he carried the case in one hand, executed his Body Technique, and kept yanking Skinny along to help him dodge the dangers.

Amid the chaos, they were already closing in on the door at the end of the hallway.

At that same moment, footsteps echoed from the staircase. The old butler was ascending with a sinister look on his face. He had heard the chaos from upstairs and felt the terrifying, oppressive aura.

He looked up just in time to see Han Su and Skinny dash past right over his head. The scene was so sudden it left him dumbfounded.

He stared blankly for a full second before his expression changed. Gently raising a hand, he began to chuckle sinisterly. ”So it was two little ra—”

”Rats my ass...”

Before the butler could finish, Han Su spun around, snatched the cane from Skinny’s hands, and hurled it at him.

The butler grimaced as he knocked the cane aside, a move that delayed the clapping of his hands. Seizing the opportunity, Han Su dragged Skinny, darted to the door, produced the key, and unlocked it—all in one smooth motion.

Then he slammed his body against the door, bursting through it with Skinny.

The fresh air outside the Ancient Castle instantly enveloped their two small figures, sending them tumbling outwards. Even Skinny’s scream of acrophobia sounded sweet to the ears.

Back in the Ancient Castle, amidst the wreckage, the furious old man and the stunned butler were still trying to process what had just happened.

Only, from between the toppled books, the Black Cat Duke gave a satisfied flick of its tail before disappearing into a crevice.